"Oxymoron" Review

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De La Soul Spreads the Love on Valentine's Day by Setting ALL Their Music Free

With an unprecedented act of generosity that makes Radiohead's infamous "pay what you can" plan look criminal by comparison, De La Soul, one of the greatest, most influential hip-hop groups of all time, are making their entire discography free to anyone with access to the internet. The offer is available for the next 24 hours. Simply visit their website, check the different boxes that correspond to the different albums you want (you might as well just click them all), and give them your first name and email address. That's it, no bullshit. Don't believe me? I got mine already, and I got it ALL (I even re-downloaded some of it that I already have for better sound quality, cause WHY NOT).

Today marks the 25th anniversary of their debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, famous for being the first true concept album in rap history, and for simply being an utterly incredible listen. Note that the email above also mentions their plans to release a new album in the near future entitled, You're Welcome. Fitting title. Thank you, De La Soul. Listen to "Eye Know," arguably the greatest love song in hip-hop history, below.

Isaiah Rashad's Cilvia Demo Plants Seeds for TDE World Domination

     

With what might one day be referred to as his own personal Section.80 (get used to the Kendrick Lamar comparisons, buddy), Isaiah Rashad has released Cilvia Demo, a collection of songs that displays the wide range this young lyricist has to offer. Hailing from Tennessee, the addition of Rashad to the Top Dawg Entertainment team is a clear attempt to develop talent outside of the label's four original Los Angeles rappers (Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul). However, this is no mere marketing ploy. Cilvia Demo, while lacking a consistent style or message, is the closest we have to a fully realized Isaiah Rashad project, and at the very least shows us TDE has made a fantastic investment by signing this introspective country boy.

Cilvia's sound is a world away from something like good kid, mA.A.d city, light years from Hollywood and Dr. Dre studio sessions. As the old cliché goes, "You can take the boy out of Chattanooga, but you can't take Chattanooga out of the boy." This is homegrown, organic hip-hop with a twist. The dirty South seen through a kaleidoscope. Songs like "Brad Jordan" are clear, committed tributes to old school rappers like Scarface, but others like "Webbie Flow (U Know)" and "West Savannah" have more experimental production that wanders into dream pop.  Much of Cilvia is spent in a haze, delivered from a boy who spent one too many days "hotboxin' the sauna." A sense of disconnect and skepticism permeates throughout most of the fourteen tracks, especially on "Tranquility"  and "Modest." A complicated relationship with his father is evident, but much of the rest of Rashad's personal life remains mysterious, with more to be unveiled with future releases.  But where are the catchy hooks, you might ask? You'll be chanting right along with Rashad on "R.I.P. Kevin Miller" and "Shot You Down," or your money back guaranteed. With Cilvia Demo, Isaiah Rashad will not bring the music universe to a grinding halt like some of his mentors have already done, but it does stand out as an exciting glimpse into the future of the expanding rap empire that is TDE.

Loose Track Round-Up

No, the first month and a half of the calendar year usually does not contain much new, jaw-dropping music for one to sink their teeth into. We are still a long way from the giant chart-toppers that will neatly coincide with summer, and even farther away from fall, where brooding artists stamp their souls onto wax. But rest assured, something is always brewing in the wide world of music! Here is a list of the choicest bits and pieces from the past month:

Cam'ron & A-Trak: "Humphrey"- Cam'ron yelling, "A-Trak, let's take 'em to church!" is one of those phrases you need to rewind in order for you to truly trust your ears. Good thing that this song is endlessly playable, as the Dipset rapper finds unlikely producers in A-Trak, founder of Fool's Gold records (signees include Danny Brown, Kid Cudi, and Run The Jewels), and Party Supplies. While many a lyricist would probably sprinkle fairy dust on a squeaky sample like this, Cam'ron shines like he did in his prime (see "Hey Ma"). He even drops a Street Fighter reference! It's official: "Cam got the shit to pop."

Speedy Ortiz: "American Horror"- Speedy Ortiz might just be the best act to come out of Massachusetts in years (remember JoJo? Anyone?). They follow up their angst ridden debut, Major Arcana, with the four song EP Real Hair, an awesome bonus if the first ten weren't enough to keep you satisfied. "American Horror" lights the fuse, an anthem about being "strap-down crazy."

Major Lazer featuring Pharrell: "Aerosol Can"- Not even that giant hat can stop Pharrell with all the momentum he built up in 2013. "Aerosol Can, bom bom bom bom/ Monkey outside, bom bom bom bom," goes the hook. Any meaning to be found? Probably not. It doesn't matter though, because Major Lazer know how to get butts moving.

Schoolboy Q: "Break The Bank"- The latest single in preparation for the much anticipated Oxymoron LP has all of the terror and panic of an armed robbery. Faint wailing, echo effects, and a chilling piano part fill this track out. While the rest of Schoolboy's recent output has been mainly comprised of club hits, "Break The Bank" finds Q taking a chainsaw to his past, angry about his upbringing and ready to move on with his life. It's the first song he has put out in a while that really rattles you, and makes you realize that if he does somehow end up drowning in Kendrick Lamar's immense shadow, he won't let it happen without kicking and screaming first.

Thundercat: "Vulnerable People"- Another thick groove from Flying Lotus's favorite bassist. This one sounds like it could play over the end credits of a late 80s flick. Bump this one from that pink Cadillac you probably don't have.

Karen O featuring Ezra Koenig: "Moon Song"- As if Her was not unbelievably heartfelt and perfect enough, this recording has just surfaced of Karen O, the original co-writer (along with director Spike Jonze) of the Oscar nominated "Moon Song," singing a lovely duet with Vampire Weekend's lead singer, Ezra Koenig. Koenig does a great job not taking over or distracting here, pitching in just the right amount. Whether or not you prefer Scarlett Johansen's version from the movie itself, we certainly welcome the star-studded harmonies here.

Disclosure featuring Mary J Blige: "F For You"- Disclosure has followed up their breakout success with a series of collaborations, starring Joey Bada$$, Bishop Nehru, and an upcoming performance with Lorde at this year's BRIT Awards. These all pale in comparison, however, to the vocal stylings of Mary J. Blige that have been added onto the already excellent "F For You." When you set the bar this high, the only question left is who they plan to give their signature face trace to next.

Diving In: Binge Listening to Beck's Discography

"Diving In" is a series where I look at a musician that I have almost zero knowledge of and listen to most or all of their discography. My first installment is on the one of a kind experimental rock/folk artist, Beck.

I usually like to know quite a bit about a musician before I consider going to see them in concert, but because of the infectiously liberal, rogue attitude that comes with the music festival experience, I decided to take a chance one night this August and see Beck, an artist that I had little to no interest in ever listening to (my only exposure to his work thus far being "Loser" and "E-Pro"). My buddy Sam and I somehow slipped by thousands of eager Canadians, racked with excitement, crowding the Osheaga mainstage, all waiting for a glimpse of this folky, rapping, rambling oddity. The plan was to go see a bit of the Beck show, catch part of Angel Haze's set, and then hustle over to the electronic stage to catch the DJ supergroup C2C. Then the sky opened up. Serious downpour. Streaks of lightning lit up the Montreal skyline on the other side of the lake. It was like some higher force didn't want Beck to perform. The gods themselves didn't want me to come into contact with the guy. A half an hour passed from when he was supposed to start the show. Just before we were ready to completely give up on Beck for good and leave a cheery family of Ottawans we had befriended that had made our time waiting in the rain a little less unbearable, a pale, fedora wearing figure emerged.

Over the next 90 minutes Beck proceeded to wash my entire skeptical outlook clean. He shape shifted from genre to genre, a sonic chameleon. He only let up for one minute, and it was to acknowledge how amazing the fireworks and lightning were that shined overhead. Already an established figure in the music industry for years, Beck had nothing to prove that night, especially not to two silly, overly critical teenagers from Newton, Massachusetts. But watching him play his music, you could tell he knew no other way to play than with full determination. Maybe that's because he is a natural showman, or maybe it's because he started his career knowing that no one would give him the time of day, just like we weren't willing to, unless he gave the audience something really special to watch. Beck made me a believer that night, and it was more than enough to convince me to give a few of his studio albums a shot.

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Mellow Gold- With an arsenal that includes slide guitar, a romping, stomping rhythm section, and buckets of feedback, Mellow Gold transformed Beck Hansen, an obscure noise-rock artist, into a sensation. While "Loser" alone put Beck on the radar, it would be criminal to overlook the rest of this album. The very next song after "Loser, "Pay No Mind (Snoozer)," is a slow acoustic strummer that completely rejects all of the commercial success that Beck foresaw receiving from his first hit. Comprised of mostly chaotic compositions like "Soul Suckin Jerk" and "Sweet Sunshine," Mellow Gold sounds like it was belched out of the dingiest, dustiest, chasm of the Southwest. It comes to a close with "Blackhole," a song that rides out peacefully into the sunset, until the very end, where a moment of silence is followed by what sounds like the record trying to self-destruct.

Odelay- In what very well may be one of the better products of artistic risk taking in recent music history, Beck further delves into toying with far-out instrumentation here. If Mellow Gold has a geographic location (Bumfuck, USA), Beck's increased experimentation takes Odelay completely off the map. We're taken on a series of endless left turns, like on "Lord Only Knows," a song that starts with a deathly scream and goes on to sound like a lost track from the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed. The stretch of "Derelict," a sitar infused trip, "Novacane," a hodgepodge of different grooves and noises orbiting Beck's mind, and "Jackass," a beautiful song with a crystal clear melody, might be enough to short circuit your brain. Just when you think super sly "Where It's At" is too cool for its own good, in comes a robotic voice bleeping away, "Two turntables and a microphone!" Fat bass lines layer the circusy organ sampled from Sly and the Family Stone's "Life" on "Sissyneck." He ties everything up perfectly on "Ramshackle," where he tries to hide with someone (who knows who) in the comfort and safety of his music. It's so intimate that it almost feels like he's recording it from his kitchen table, as he sings, "So take off your coat/ Put a song in your throat/ Let the dead-beats pound all around." Pretty mature stuff for a guy who had previously written a song entitled, "Fuckin With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock)."

Midnight Vultures- Beck puts on his dancing shoes on Midnight Vultures. Only Beck would start an album off with a funky horn-filled thrill ride called "Sexx Laws," complete with a banjo break. He does a pretty damn fine Prince impression on "Nicotine and Gravy." He takes a stab at Diddy style production on part of "Hollywood Freaks." Midnight Vultures is Beck leading us on a wild goose chase through urban streets and back alleys. Every song is a dare, testing the limitations of exactly how strange things can get before people stop moving their feet.  It all leads up to "Debra," which now seems like the prototypical Flight of The Concords song. "I went to get with you/ And your sister/ I think her name is Debra," he belts, making him a perfect three for three so far on album closers.

Sea Change- The album cover to Sea Changes is very telling. Beck is a wide eyed observer for much of this album, far more passive here than ever before. He might be stripping down some of the craziness that comes with his earlier works, but that doesn't make Sea Changes any less imaginative. Nothing is soiled or skewed here. Even the twang of the guitar on "Side of The Road" that is so reminiscent of past Beck albums sounds clearer and crisper this time around. As for the lush orchestral arrangements, like the one found on "Paper Tiger," it was only a matter of time. On Sea Changes, Beck shows that he is much more than a young and rowdy twenty something, and that he has the ability to age gracefully. Let the golden age begin.

Guero- What genre of music was left for Beck to conquer going into Guero? The answer is nothing that you would actually want to here from him, as Beck just sort of does Beck and lays down some solid tunes on this one. "E-Pro" and "Go It Alone" are just about as badass as Beck can possibly get. "Que Onda Guero" is one of his most solid attempts at hip-hop to date. If there's anything to say about Guero, it's that it moves. It's a definite head-bobber. The hispanic influence, which is present in much of the Los Angeles native's music, cannot be denied here (see "Earthquake Weather"). But none of what surfaces is a dramatic change in tone for Beck. This particular collection of songs never commits to some sort of bold, new style. While Beck seems to reinvent himself on nearly every album he's made up to this point, Guero takes the good pieces of all of those past experiments and puts them together to make a really diverse, fun listen.

The Information- While clearly serving as a meditation on machinery and computing in modern society, Beck never lets the concept behind The Information get in the way of its music. In other words, the digital age theme only makes appearances when it's convenient, and it's never too distracting. He takes a cerebral approach to the biggest question of all in "Think I'm In Love." "Motorcade" is full of building madness, while "The Information" reeks of an eery acceptance. "New Round" tries to find simplicity, trying to ignore the technological whirling going on in the background. Sprinkled in are a few classic Beck "walkin' down the street" grooves ("Elevator Music", "No Complaints"). Overall, The Information probably isn't anyone's favorite Beck album, but any fan of his will find most or all of its 62 minutes enjoyable.

Being the last of the six selections I chose to listen to, it saddened me to see the last few seconds of The Information tick down to its end. Luckily, less than a month stands between the world and Morning Phase, Beck's first studio album in over five years. Here's hoping that it can live up to all of his other fine work.

           

December/Early January Loose Track Round-Up

Just when we thought 2013 would slowly screech to a halt, tons of material was packed into December to top off an extraordinary year in music. Lucky for us, it seems like several artists are looking to kick off this year the right way too. These are the best songs that have been floating around the internet over the past few weeks:

Rick Ross featuring Jay Z: "Devil Is A Lie"- It's Ricky Rozay throwing a hoe down, and Jay Z is invited ("HOV down?" Forget it...)! Just when you started to lose faith in him after laying goose eggs on guest verse after guest verse, Mr. Carter redeems himself, and has a little fun in the process. Double up on that blow, bitch!

Broken Bells: "After The Disco"- Gnarls Barkley producer Danger Mouse and the Shins frontman James Mercer team up again as Broken Bells. It looks like disco revival didn't die with 2013, as Mercer uses his patented falsetto over a thick bass line.

Common: "War"- "He was supposed to be going to his junior year/ This is his funeral year." "War" finds Common fed up with the persistent violence on the streets of Chicago, his hometown turned battleground. No I.D contributes the military style beat, adding to the stellar body of work these two already share.

Phantogram: "Fall In Love"- You might have first seen this one as one of those ads on Youtube you immediately skip as soon as possible. Don't click that mouse just yet! "Fall In Love" is spell binding, as lead singer Sarah Barthel flies you over hypnotic loops and deep buzzing bass.

Vampire Weekend featuring Danny Brown, Heems, Despot: "Step (Wintertime Remix)"- If you've already listened to Ezra Koenig's light humming on the original version of "Step," chances are Danny Brown yelling "Back, back, way back!" will be enough to make you laugh the first time you here this "Wintertime Remix." The second time around, however, it becomes clear that this is an incredibly endearing offering from all involved, as three talented indie rappers salute the best indie rock band around.

Run The Jewels: "Pew Pew Pew"- Killer Mike and El-P take a much deserved victory lap. Verbal homicide ensues.

Freddie Gibbs: "Thug 'Til It's Over"- Gibbs will release the full album Piñata with producer Madlib February 4, but for now the Gary, Indiana rapper tides us over with this soulful (pleasantly out of character) finger-snapper.

Beyonce featuring Busta Rhymes, Azealia Banks: "Partition (Remix)"-  On what is certainly Beyonce's meanest, most thug endeavor to date, Busta Rhymes joins in on the fun as he brags about nice watches and fellatio. Also present is Azealia Banks, who shows off a much slicker side in contrast to her smash hit, "212."

The Ten Best Albums of 2013

These year end lists are always kind of a load of bullshit when you think about it. They take something completely subjective like art and force you to slap a number on it. That being said, they are very fun to write, and for the reader, equally fun to tear apart. So what's the common thread here? There has to be some sort of theme to all of this killer music, right?

2012 will always be remembered in my mind as the Year of the Rookie. Young guns provided a refreshing change of pace, and it seemed as though this new wave of talent would replace the acts we had come to cherish over the past decade. In contrast, 2013 saw big names come back in big ways (holograms? Surprise album releases? Interactive music videos? Live-stream concerts directed by Steve Buscemi?), showing that the previous year was not a vacation, but rather a time for them and their publicity teams to hatch ideas for their eventual return. No, we didn't get proper follow-up records from Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, or Tame Impala (fingers crossed for 2014), but more importantly, who cares when Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, and Justin Timberlake show that they’re not ready to leave any time soon? Looking through this lens (with some notable exceptions, see numbers 7, 9, and 10), I give you my favorite albums of the year:

10. CHVRCHES- The Bones of What You Believe

CHVRCHES is one of those bands you can't help but root for. The Scottish electro-pop trio dish out every serving of catchy hooks and sparkling synths with a bit of harsh reality. The sound of lead singer Lauren Mayberry's voice alone will put you in an upbeat mood, but upon further inspection, the group's songs deal mostly with fractured relationships and trying to regain trust in loved ones. These hard-nosed lyrics go perfectly with fluttery numbers like "Gun," where Mayberry sings, "Hide, hide, I will burn your bridges/ Now I'll be a gun, and it's you I'll come for." On The Bones of What You Believe, CHVRCHES have put together an astonishingly solid first outing that will leave you pushing for these guys and wondering why Top 40 radio can't sound this good.

9. Chance The Rapper- Acid Rap

It's almost dizzying how talented Chance The Rapper can be sometimes. Acid Rap finds the young Chicago MC tripping out and going in on cosmic beats. You can imagine him in the booth, jumping up and down like the spaz he is on "Good Ass Intro." He goes straight through the roof on "Chain Smoker," only to float safely down to earth by the end. "Everybody's Something" is a beautifully removed, ultimately uplifting song that everyone from Chief Keef to your high school english teacher can appreciate. The true jaw dropper, however, is "Pusha Man." What starts off as a light-hearted nod to Curtis Mayfield ends up changing the tone of the entire album with the switch of a beat. If he’s not careful, he might change the tone of the whole damn genre.

8. Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience (Part One)

Let’s make this clear: Part two of The 20/20 Experience was a major disappointment, but can we just return to that moment in March when JT slid onto the SNL stage and did such a slick rendition of “Suit and Tie” that even my dad had to give him props? Can we go back there, when everything was awesome? Timberlake teams up with Timbaland again, but rather than trying to recreate 2007's Future Sex/Love Sounds, the duo have cooked up a batch of songs with great variety. "Spaceship Coupe" finds him ridin' round Mars, and the very next track, "That Girl," finds him in a musty Memphis bar. Yes, some of these songs are far too long if you’re going to sit down and listen to this thing all the way through, but this ain’t that kind of album. Even at its most heartfelt (“Tunnel Vision,” “Mirrors”), this album, like any good Timberlake album, commands you to dance. So for the love of Christ, shut up and let the groove get in.

7. Earl Sweatshirt- Doris

Earl Sweatshirt has always struck me as the least weird of the weirdos in Odd Future. It seems like he's the one of the bunch that got unknowingly roped into all of the madness. Earl's Doris tries to organize the many complicated emotions this young group has experienced since their whirlwind rise to stardom. "Burgundy," "Sunday," "Hive," and "Chum" are among the group's greatest cuts to date, and while Earl doesn't necessarily have an answer to every problem he brings up here, that's perfectly alright. This guy has a long career ahead of him, and as impressive as Doris is, you have to remember that this kid is only 19, and these journeys into his psyche are only going to get clearer and clearer as time goes on. Maybe that's why so many people find Earl so appealing: he's a normal kid trying to make sense of a strange situation. Or maybe it's because he raps about screwing nuns.

6. Danny Brown- Old

Old is about as bipolar as any album released this year. The first half finds Danny Brown returning to his Detroit roots, a run of the mill gangster with a deep voice who transports us to the horrors of the streets. He roles through the destruction with no mercy on songs like the Outkast homage "The Return" with Freddie Gibbs ("Done rose out them ashes, drinking Fiji water/ Wanna pull me in that fire when I'm tryna feed my daughter/ Wanna snatch my momma's plate, and tell her she can't eat/ And we gone have us some discrepancies right here in this skreet"), and walks us through his nightmares on "Torture" ("Gunshots outside was sorta like fireworks/ We know they ain't fireworks; it's December 21st/ Cold winter with a kerosene heater/ On the couch so cold you can't take off your sneakers"). But at some point in the middle, perhaps during the onslaught of "Red 2 Go," something snaps, and the second half sees the Adderall Admiral go on a drug-fueled bender no mere mortal could ever survive ("Dip," "Break It [Go]," "Handstand," "Kush Coma"). It all comes to a close with Danny Brown rising above both halves of his persona in a moment of clarity on "Float On." "Pray I get old just to hear I been the future/ Just to see my influence in this genre of music," he mumbles at the end, and considering Old's compelling character portrait and innovative production, there's no doubt that his influence will be quite large.

5. Daft Punk- Random Access Memories

Welcome to Boogie Nights as seen by two robots. Random Access Memories is much more than Daft Punk's disco album, it's an alternate dimension where two supernatural producers have crash-landed into 1970's America in order to spread funk to the masses. Collaboration with other artists has not always been a selling point for this duo (the helmets must put up some social barriers), but all the greatest moments on their latest album come when they are able to transport their guests back in time. Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams hit the dance floor on the summer smash "Get Lucky" and "Lose Yourself To Dance." Paul Williams trembles on the haunting "Touch." Even indie stars Julian Casablancas of the Strokes ("Instant Crush") and Panda Bear of Animal Collective ("Doin' It Right") get in on the fun. RAM is an inter-gallactic jam-fest, one that will have you electing to get beamed up again and again.

4. Pusha T- My Name Is My Name

Call it a coke rap classic. After multiple release date push-backs, Pusha-T finally went solo with My Name Is My Name, and the results are phenomenal. Everything you could want from a hip-hop CD is right here. "Numbers On The Boards" showcases Push's talents over a hard-knocking Kanye West beat. "Sweet Serenade" is a strong candidate for strip club anthem of the year. The-Dream assisted "40 Acres" is about holding on to your dignity. "Who I Am," with 2 Chainz and Big Sean, is about holding on to DI$ MONEY! But all of these issues play second-fiddle to what is really paramount to Pusha-T, and that is the business. The blaring "Nosetalgia" and the vengeful "S.N.I.T.C.H" are harrowing reminders of how inescapable the drug culture is in America once you have been immersed in it. On "Numbers On The Boards," a quick Jay-Z sample interjects, "Motherfuckers can't rhyme no more, bout crime no more." Pusha-T makes him eat those words.

3. Arcade Fire- Reflektor

It's only once you get to "Afterlife," the immensely satisfying penultimate track on Reflektor, that Arcade Fire really start to sound like Arcade Fire again. Up until this point, we get 70's Bowie ("Reflektor"), Haitian dance music ("Flashbulb Eyes," "Here Comes The Night Time"), and garage blues reminiscent of the White Stripes ("Normal Person"). With James Murphy coaching them on the sideline, they even take a stab at playing the role of LCD Soundsystem on "Porno." Instead of releasing another spectacular arena-rock album that everyone knows they are capable of making, they have taken the high road and made something that lives up to its name and reflects the work of other artists right back at them. Reflektor is Arcade Fire desperately trying to be something, ANYTHING other than Arcade Fire. The end product is a bit of an overwhelming mess the first time you sift through it, but this double album proves to be incredibly cohesive with additional listening. Arcade Fire try on many masks and disguises on Reflektor, but the best costume they dawn here, on songs like "Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)" and "It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)," is the all too elusive "timeless band" suit. Guess what, it fits them perfectly.

2. Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City

You don't have to totally jump ship and redefine your style to make a great album. Vampire Weekend's latest work finds them doing exactly what they’ve done in the past, but this time they do it to perfection. There are so many fine lines these guys walk in their music, and they do it all so gracefully. To balance traditional African rhythms and happy-go-lucky rock, baroque compositions and Cape Cod summer playlist material, lyrics that a literature scholar can pour over and lines like "Baby, baby, baby, baby, right on time,"…. there are a million wrong turns they could take, but they manage to avoid every single one. The spectrum of emotions you feel throughout this album is huge. One moment you’ll want to light a car on fire (“Diane Young”), the next all you’ll want is a hug (“Hannah Hunt,” “Everlasting Arms”), and not a single transition feels forced. After releasing Modern Vampires of the City, VW could have easily taken the traditional indie route and become a bunch of pompous recluses. Instead, they did a cover of "Blurred Lines." If you still think these dudes are a bunch of uppity Columbia grads after seeing everything they've accomplished in 2013, I hate to break it to you friend, but it's time to have that stick up your ass removed.

1. Kanye West- Yeezus

I refuse to contribute any more talking points (like there are any left that haven't been covered) to the massive ongoing discussion surrounding Kanye West and Yeezus. Simply put, Yeezus is the best album of 2013. It rocks. Nothing beat it this year. If you want to know why, look at any credible music publication's review (you can also check mine out here). Say what you want about Kanye West as a person, you'd be certifiably insane if you thought he's 100% normal or right about EVERYTHING he says, but the music is still there. It's demanding, entertaining, and it's begging you to listen to it. Heed the call.

Honorable Mention:

A$AP Rocky- Long.Live.A$AP:
Just missed the cut. While not quite as good as the mixtape that put him on the map, Rocky proves he can be a superstar on his debut album.

Disclosure- Settle:
The best EDM of the year. And you don't feel like a douchebag listening to it.

Run The Jewels- Run The Jewels:
Killer Mike and El-P: Fuck boys know the combination ain't healthy.

Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady:
Why she hasn't become a household name by now honestly boggles my mind. Janelle delivers again.

Savages- Silence Yourself:
Their performance on Fallon made me a believer. A real "cut the shit and let us play" type of band.

Thundercat- Apocalypse:
He'll break your mind with his bass guitar, and then piece it back together with his falsetto.

The National- Trouble Will Find Me:
More baritone blundering. It's the best dad-rock money can buy.

HAIM- Days Are Gone:
Jewish girls rock! Something tells me these three sisters are going to be around for a long time.

Kendrick’s Verse on “Control”:
Why not? It has more memorable moments than most full albums, right?